”When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers (died), another generation arose after them who did not know the LORD nor the work which He had done for Israel.”  Judges 2:10

This theme is repeated throughout the Old Testament and especially in the book of Judges.  Why couldn’t the knowledge of God be passed to the next generation?  My heart’s desire is that I would raise up a generation after me that will know and follow God even more than I do.  There are two things I noticed in the reading about Israel as they took the Promised Land God gave them. 

The first is that the generation that proceeded the generation that didn’t know God was always in a battle.  They were fighting to take what God had given them as a result of His covenant with them.  Was the next generation involved in the fighting or were they spectators that never experienced a fight nor were they taught to fight?

We as the first generation can get so caught up in fighting spiritual battles that we forget to teach the next how to fight.  The next generation never learned how to know God in the midst of the battle.  They never experienced His faithfulness to drive out the enemy before His people. They never experienced these things for themselves but were benefactors of the blessing God gave their fathers. 

“The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:4-5

We as Christians are in a warfare and God has given us spiritual weapons that we can and will with.  Are we giving weapons to the next generation and teaching them to use them?  Or are they sitting back and watching us fight?

The second thing I saw is that the first generation did not fully obey God in that they did not fully drive out the inhabitants of the Promised Land.  One generation’s disobedience can be the cause of the next generation’s curse.   Future generations will suffer the consequences of the prior generation’s wrongs.   The first generation disobeyed God and consequently began to take on the idolatry of the people they did not drive out.  When we become friends with the world through sin and compromise we cause the next generation’s vision to be cloudy.  We introduce them to another god and instead of knowing and experiencing the one true God they are introduced and begin to know a god we have made with our own hands and imagination. 

Romans 1:21-23 clearly points this out.

“Because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God (did not fully obey Him), nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man–and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.”

When one generation does not fully glorify God through their lives the progression begins as mentioned in the verse.  Futile thoughts and foolish hearts become darkened so that in this condition another god is made that is full of corruption.  What is left for the next generation is a god that has been made up from minds that became futile and hearts that were darkened. 

We must get back to knowing the God of the Bible and teach Him and His ways to the next generation.  As Christians we have been given the Holy Spirit who will bring revelation to us all as we follow Christ.  We must pray as Paul prayed for the generation that would follow him in Ephesians 1:15-19:

“Father give us and the next generation the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of our understanding being enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe.”      AMEN!!

Danny Allen

April 23, 2009